Milk arcs across the canvas from the breasts of a naked woman stumbling through a pile of bed sheets as an infant is placed under her armpit to suckle. The woman in Venetian artist Jacopo Tintoretto’s painting is Juno who is the wife of Jupiter, an unfaithful husband and god of the sky. It was Jupiter who carried his half-mortal son, Hercules, toward Juno’s breast so the child could obtain full immortality from her divine milk. Startled from slumber, jets of her milk streak across the heavens, each terminating with a star. According to myth, these traces formed the Milky Way. Indeed, the root of the word “galaxy” comes from the Greek gála, which means milk.
Milk is not only humanity’s food but also a liquid dripping with symbolism, from spiritual salvation to maternal devotion. Human breast milk is liquid gold, a magical substance that has been celebrated over centuries and is long known as a medical remedy as well as an infant foodstuff.
For much of Greek and Roman antiquity, milk was thought to be menstrual blood transformed by the heat of childbirth, transported from the uterus via a special vein. As such, it was viewed with suspicion, as a possible contagion. The potential for milk to transmit physical or moral characteristics is evidenced in the strict advice on finding suitable wet nurses that can be found throughout history from disparate continents the world over.
Today, breastfeeding itself is also an emotional and sometimes divisive topic. Generally presented to new mothers as the best thing they can do for a baby’s development, parents often lack practical support, which would allow them to establish and sustain breastfeeding. This can leave parents facing numerous challenges, including balancing the demands of breastfeeding with paid employment or being asked to leave when nursing in a public place.
Throughout art history, we can find depictions of divine or mythological milk, like the aforementioned painting “Origin of the Milky Way” (1575). Or gushing breasts as a manifestation of nature, as in the 16th-century Fountain of Neptune in Bologna. Though idealized for centuries in Madonna and Child imagery, the corporeal, emotional, and practical realities of feeding a baby remain less often explored.
Other bodily fluids, typically blood or urine, have been used by artists since at least the 1960s, such as Richard Hambleton’s Bloodscapes series (c. 1992–1994), Antony Gormley’s use of his blood and semen in his Bodily Fluids series (1986–1992), and Portia Munson’s “Menstrual Print With Text” (1993). Paleolithic painters mixed pigment with their own spit.
Because of its associations with the maternal body, it is unsurprising that human milk — as both subject matter and medium — still represents something of a taboo in contemporary art, so much so that artists Oona and Lori Baldwin were removed from the Scope Gallery’s Art Basel exhibition due to claims that their performance was too controversial. “Milking the Artist” (2022) involved Oona producing breast milk while talking about the fetishization of female bodies, then auctioning glasses of milk to the audience for up to $200,000.
Was seeing someone express milk, albeit from a prosthetic breast, that provocative? Or was it the discomfort of monetizing milk, which in turn places a monetary value on caring labor? Or was the milk itself controversial? Can milk be considered a medium, as much as blood or spit?
Breast milk intervenes in the celluloid in Jennifer West’s handmade film, “My Milk Is Your Shit/Nirvana Alchemy Film 2” (2007), where the artist freezes 35mm film in breast milk. Eva Zasloff’s “Reflections of light on breastmilk particles” (2018) took images of the microscopic particles and projected them into an intimate space at MIT.
This telescoping in on breast milk offers shifting perspectives on what it signifies, as delicate orbs float across the field of vision like stars. A galaxy of proteins, minerals, fats, antibodies, and bioactive components — which makes milk a living substance — are revealed in this close examination. Responsive to a baby’s needs, every mother’s milk is different. Zasloff herself cares for families as a physician in the postpartum period, and her art is a reminder of the scale and specificity of maternal work.
Aimee Koran explores the unpredictability and generative aspects of the lactating body, especially in her ongoing series Milkscapes, elegant drifts of drying milk magnified in wall-hanging prints with opaline echoes of Hambleton’s otherworldly forms. In 2022, her prints of curdling spilled milk were made into eight flags, and hung outside Philadelphia’s Maternity Care Coalition’s Early Head Start Building, capturing transitory moments of maternity and appearing like the surfaces of another planet.
Approaching breast milk as a medium allows us to reconsider it as a subject matter too. Breastfeeding is often thought of as a process; rarely do we think about the product — milk — outside of child-rearing contexts. What are the origins of milk itself? Under what conditions is it produced? What value do we place on the labor of lactation and how taboo do we really think the final product is?
Ine Poppe caused a storm in the Netherlands when, after the birth of her child in 1983, she began to explore what it meant to be a milk-producing being. She started collecting her milk and used it to make cheese. “Dutch Mother’s Milk Cheese” (1984) formed part of a multimedia project that spanned audio, video, publications, and performances. Photographs show milk being expressed from the artist using glass pumps, sometimes with the help of men dressed in lab coats and surgical masks. Mainstream Dutch newspaper de Volkskrant claimed the work “makes us puke.”
This shock value of breastmilk hasn’t abated, as countless headlines attest. For example, a deli in Covent Garden, London, made the news in 2018 when it added breast milk ice cream to its menu. Parents who breastfeed an infant beyond babyhood are often met with disapproval and sometimes outright hostility.
The idea for a milk-tasting session, based on the idea of wine tasting, came to Canadian artist Jess Dobkin while she was pregnant. Offering audiences the chance to try different kinds of milk-centered concepts of hospitality and to probe group and cultural dynamics.
The first Lactation Station “happening” took place in Toronto in 2006 as part of a broader program of performance art around the theme of “taste.” Using donated, pasteurized breast milk, Dobkin set up bar areas in gallery spaces, and small groups were invited to try two samples each, served in a shot glass.
Lactation Station also involved in-depth interviews with milk donors, whose stories played over video in the gallery during the tastings. The responsibility and care Dobkin afforded her donors were meticulous, yet a high degree of trust was placed in the tasters, too, who were assumed to be respectful.
Dobkin was aware that the setup was an invitation to engage in a taboo activity, and this meant the happenings were designed to create a sense of order and normality, complete with menus and a maître d’. The gallery context was less about delineating the experience as “art,” and more about creating a sense of control with clean, white walls conveying hygiene, playing with the “indecency” (to some) of expressing milk in public.
In her hosting, Dobkin reciprocated the enormous generosity and trust donors and samplers placed in her. But the focus was ultimately on the milk itself, each demo differentiated by a unique name and backstory, based on interviews with the artist. As people drank from tiny plastic glasses of “Sweet Fall Harvest” and “Passion’s Legacy,” she advised them on the woman’s diet at the time of expression, the age of their child, and details of the women’s experiences with breastfeeding.
Lactation Station was staged three times, in 2006, 2012, and 2016. The artist sensed the cultural shifts that were taking place over this period, with women appearing more confident in breastfeeding, largely ascribed to the rise of social media and the potential for online connectivity, support, and conversation.
Dobkin placed emphasis on isolating the donors from their milk. They were alluded to through the naming of milk and their testimonies on the gallery walls, but their actual labor was kept private. The final product served as a bodily commodity removed from its means of production.
It is a reminder that for all the exact glamorous photoshoots of women wearing breast pumps, expressing milk remains an activity that is often hidden from view. Dobkin plays with this idea too, allowing the promotional posters for Lactation Station to be ribald as a counterpoint to the care and sanctity of the act itself. The striking promotional image shows the artist topless, manipulating her own breast to jet a substantial arc of breastmilk into a wine glass. The wine glasses point to instructions from Toronto public health authorities for the gallery to place highly visible signs around the space forbidding minors to demo the breastmilk. Milk was for adults only.
In “Baraka” (2013), Lynn Lu stood in front of an audience at Arte Nomade in Alma, Canada, and read an academic paper on breastfeeding and wet nursing in Islamic culture while connected to a breast pump. After the readings, the milk was poured into porcelain spoons, and the artist fed members of the audience. Milk is a gift, an act of hospitality, drawing attention to what we ask of our caretakers and how this labor is often overlooked or taken for granted.
Lu’s work is an invitation to intimately connect and join a community of “milk-kin.” In Ancient Egypt, for instance, biological children of wet nurses to the royal family were allowed to call themselves “milk-kin” of the king.
Allyship was a driving force behind the formation of the Los Angeles-based group Mother Artists Making Art (MAMA), who came together in the 1990s to support one another in investigating invisible or taboo aspects of the maternal experience.
The collective, comprising the artists Lisa Mann, Athena Kanaris, Karen Schwenkmeyer, Deborah Oliver, and Lisa Schoyer, worked on a number of projects that explored breastfeeding. The maternal response to their new postpartum bodies, transformed into a source of nourishment, was the subject of “Milkstained” (1998), a multisensory performance at the Electronic Café International in Santa Monica, which was also live-streamed on the internet as part of a festival celebrating video and new media art.
The performance began with a naked woman lying on a white pedestal, her back to the audience, white cloth draped over her buttocks and thighs. Soon, the visual flow of the body’s odalisque pose was disrupted by white liquid pouring down her back as damp patches blossomed on the white cloth. More women joined the stage, some hand-expressing milk from their very real breasts, others pouring milk into a fountain of cocktail glasses. Spoken word, the sounds of a baby feeding, and the unmistakable whir of an electric breast pump echoed around the small gallery space. In the end, the audience was invited to taste the freshly expressed milk. How different is this experience from Lactation Station, given that tasters heard the rhythmic whir of a breast pump, saw the nipple distend and stretch, and the milk spray into the bottle?
The perceived disarray and sensuality of the birthing body, the cultural taboos surrounding human milk, and the censored dimensions of lactation are rife with possibility. To deliver space to fully explore the political, poetic, and literal messiness of milk in all its forms, we need to expose the oversimplified dichotomy of breast versus bottle feeding and demonstrate that our individual actions as parents exist within societal structures that must be interrogated and improved.
Last week was Julia Child’s birthday. She was such a powerful force in the culinary world, and to think: she didn’t really cook until she went to Paris!
Her show “Master Chefs” gave Julia the opportunity to work with professional chefs from across the country. One was Amy Ferguson, who at the time of filming was a young executive chef at the Ritz-Carlton, Mauna Lani, the first woman to be appointed to that position.
Originally from Texas, with a grandmother who cooked Creole cuisine from Louisiana, she studied art history and French studies in France. While there she took cooking courses at Le Cordon Bleu. That nailed her career in the food industry as she returned to Houston and started to teach French cooking classes. Interesting that she and Julia Child have similar stories after returning from Paris!
Amy is a fellow Dame and lives in Kailua-Kona, working on being semi-retired. I watched her career take off and enjoyed her restaurant, Oodles of Noodles.
Amy embraced the wonderful foods from Hawaii and many of her recipes include ulu (breadfruit), papaya, and local fish.
Here are some of her recipes.
Ahi Yellowfin-Tuna and Ulu Breadfruit Cakes with Lime-Cilantro Mayonnaise
1 pound ulu (breadfruit) or Chinese taro (or sweet potato)
The fish: 1 pound fresh tuna, number 2 quality, or middle grade
2 tablespoons clarified butter
1 medium-sized mild onion (Maui) peeled and diced
1 large shallot, peeled and diced
2 large garlic cloves, peeled, smashed and minced
Salt to taste
Small handful of cilantro (leaves and tender stems), chopped
6 scallions (both white and fresh green), chopped
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 large egg
1/2 to 1/4 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons or more clarified butter
Lime-cilantro mayonnaise:
1-1/2 cups mayonnaise
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
Steam the breadfruit (or taro or sweet potato): Cut the breadfruit in half through the stem, peel the halves, slice out the cores, and steam 20 minutes or until almost tender— they will get cooked more later. (Or, steam a sweet potato the same way.) Put through the course holes of a grater and set aside.
Sauteeing the tuna: Slice the tuna 3/8-inch thick, then into 3/8-inch strips, and then into cubes. Heat 2 tablespoons of clarified butter in the pan, stir in the diced onion, shallot and garlic and cook, stirring, for several minutes until translucent. Then add the tuna, stirring and tossing for several minutes, and sprinkle on a little salt. The tuna is done when barely springy to the touch. Set aside in a bowl and chill.
Forming the cakes: Blend the tuna and ulu in a large bowl with the cilantro, cornstarch, baking powder and egg. Then add small spoonfuls of cream to soften the mix enough for easy forming with your hands. Taste, then season carefully with lemon juice, salt and pepper.
Scoop out large spoonfuls of the mixture and shape in the palms of your hands into fish cakes any size you wish.
Ahead of time note: May be made to this point and refrigerated for several hours.
Cooking and serving the tuna cakes: Mix together the ingredients for the lime-cilantro mayonnaise. When ready to serve, heat 3 tablespoons of clarified butter in a saute pan and cook the cakes for several minutes on each side to heat through and brown nicely. Drain on paper towels before transferring to serving plates. Accompany with the lime-cilantro mayonnaise and garnish with the following papaya salad.
Puna Green Papaya Salad with Spicy Dressing
2 small or 1 large green (unripe) papaya
4 ripe red medium-sized tomatoes
1 small red chili pepper, finely sliced
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground ginger
2 scallions, chopped
Medium handful of cilantro (leaves and tender stems), chopped
For the dressing:
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup oriental fish sauce or 1 teaspoon soy sauce to taste
2 teaspoons Chinese chili sauce or 1 or 2 red jalapeno peppers with seeds, finely chopped
For the dressing: Place all ingredients in a screw-top jar and shake vigorously, taste carefully for seasoning, screw on the lid and set aside.
The papaya: Using a vegetable peeler, remove the skin from the papaya. Slice the fruit in half lengthwise, scoop out and discard the seeds (you will have to scrape hard with green papaya). Cut the fruit into very fine julienne strips using a mandoline, and place in a bowl.
The tomatoes: To blanch the tomatoes, drop them into a pan of boiling water for 10 seconds, which loosens the skin. Cut out the core, strip off the skin, quarter through the stem, then halve the quarters into wedges. Lay each wedge flat on your work surface and slide a knife under the pulp and seeds to remove them. Finally, cut the remaining flesh into julienne strips and place in the bowl.
Hot pepper: To avoid irritation while handling hot peppers, oil your hands. Slice the pepper in half lengthwise, scrape out the seeds and cut the seeded pepper halves into julienne strips. Place in the bowl.
Final touches: Add the ginger, scallions, and cilantro to the bowl. First toss the salad to mix the ingredients, then toss with spoonfuls of dressing. Carefully correct the seasoning. You may serve it immediately, but wait at least half an hour to allow the flavors to blend.
To serve: To serve with tuna cakes, for example, place a small serving of salad in the middle of the plate and a tuna cake at each side with a dollop of lime-cilantro mayonnaise on top. Garnish with a few fresh sprigs of cilantro, perhaps serving an edible flower to one side.
Email Audrey Wilson at audreywilson808@gmail.com.
A food sensitivity is the inability to digest a food due to an enzyme deficiency, sensitivity to a food additive or a reaction to a chemical found in the food, explains Nana Mirekuh, M.D., a board-certified allergist at TexasAllergy MD.
Food sensitivities are not life-threatening, but can be uncomfortable. Common symptoms, says Dr. Mirekuh, include gas, bloating, belly pain or diarrhea. And she says you can get away with eating a small amount of that food—like a bite of cheesecake, if you’re lactose intolerant—but eating the entire slice would cause severe discomfort.
The terms food sensitivity and food intolerance may be used interchangeably, but they aren’t the same thing, as the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics warns that there’s no formal definition of food sensitivity, nor is it a medical diagnosis. A medical professional can, however, help diagnose a food intolerance based on symptoms and medical history, says Dr. Mirekuh.
Food intolerances occur when the body has trouble digesting a food or food group due to a missing enzyme used to break down the food. A reaction to food additives or naturally occurring chemicals within a food can also cause a food intolerance.
The most common food intolerance is lactose intolerance, which occurs when the body produces little or no lactase, the enzyme that breaks down sugar in milk and other dairy products. Up to 65% of the population has trouble digesting lactose after infancy .
Other common intolerances include:
Food allergies occur when the immune system reacts to a substance in the food it sees as harmful, typically a protein, and produces an abundance of antibodies called immunoglobulin E (IgE) that attach to cells in the body.
The next time the body comes into contact with that food, those cells release chemicals that cause food allergy symptoms like itching, swelling, hives, difficulty breathing (wheezing), vomiting and diarrhea. Food allergies can also trigger anaphylaxis, a severe, life-threatening reaction that needs immediate treatment.
The most common food allergens, according to the AAI, are:
Is Georgia on your mind? A land of breathtaking landscapes, mouthwatering cuisine, and a rich history that stretches back millennia. If you’re looking to delve into the fascinating world of this enchanting country, what better way than through the pages of a good book? We have picked five of the best reads (all available in English) that cover the history, politics, and even the tantalising food of this amazing country.
Whether you’re a history buff, an art enthusiast, a food lover, these five books offer a delightful glimpse into the rich tapestry of Georgian culture.
The Making of the Georgian Nation, by Ronald Grigor Suny
Prepare to be captivated by this comprehensive masterpiece that traces the origins of the Georgian nation. Ronald Grigor Suny, a distinguished historian, weaves together a compelling narrative that explores the complex interplay of culture, religion, and politics. From the ancient kingdoms to the Soviet era and beyond, this book offers a deep understanding of Georgia’s national identity.
Georgia: A Cultural Journey through the Wardrop Collection, by Nikoloz Aleksidze
Step into the world of art and culture with this visually stunning book. Nikoloz Aleksidze takes us on a journey through the Wardrop Collection, a treasure trove of Georgian artifacts and manuscripts. With exquisite illustrations and insightful commentary, this book offers a glimpse into the rich artistic heritage of Georgia, from illuminated manuscripts to vibrant folk art.
Georgia: In the Mountains of Poetry, by Peter Nasmyth
Prepare to be enchanted by the lyrical prose of Peter Nasmyth as he takes you on a poetic journey through the heart of Georgia. Nasmyth’s deep love for the country shines through as he explores its landscapes, traditions, and people. From the snow-capped peaks of the Caucasus to the ancient monasteries, this book is a love letter to Georgia.
Georgia: A Political History Since Independence, by Stephen F. Jones
For those seeking a deeper understanding of Georgia’s political landscape, look no further than Stephen F. Jones’ insightful book. Jones, a renowned scholar, delves into the tumultuous history of Georgia since its independence from the Soviet Union. From the Rose Revolution to the challenges of nation-building, this book offers a nuanced analysis of Georgia’s political evolution.
No exploration of Georgia would be complete without savouring its delectable cuisine. Darra Goldstein’s mouthwatering book takes you on a culinary adventure through the flavours and traditions of Georgian food. From the iconic khachapuri to the fragrant spices of khinkali, this book is a feast for the senses, complete with recipes that will transport you to the Georgian table.
Unlike many news and information platforms, Emerging Europe is free to read, and always will be. There is no paywall here. We are independent, not affiliated with nor representing any political party or business organisation. We want the very best for emerging Europe, nothing more, nothing less. Your support will help us continue to spread the word about this amazing region.
You can contribute here. Thank you.
“My SNAP is limited. But here I could, you know, kind of treat myself to something good,” says the woman featured on the Field & Fork Network’s YouTube video.
These are the words of a grateful shopper at a fresh food market buying fruits and vegetables and touting New York’s Double Up Food Bucks program that gives a needed boost to her Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program card. The woman in the video talks about the limitations of SNAP – which congressional Republicans aimed to reduce in the past. But where the Double Up Food Bucks program is accepted, she can treat herself to something good: fresh produce.
Now, New York’s Double Up Food Bucks program has expanded, and its supporters want to see it branch out further. For the sake of promoting good health, it should receive unanimous bipartisan support toward that goal.
Double Up Food Bucks is about equity – food equity – and the ability to reap the health benefits of regularly eating fresh produce.
The FRESH Act is sponsored by State Sen. Tim Kennedy and supported by Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes, Deputy Buffalo Mayor Callie Johnson and Barbara Guinn, Commissioner of New York’s Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance.
The bill passed in the State Senate and goes before the Assembly next year. The “food retail establishment subsidization for healthy communities act” intends to offer incentives to food retailers to locate in lower-income urban and suburban areas.
The plan is easy to get behind. It can help wipe out “food deserts” and expand access to fresh produce, increase sales of farm products and create jobs in underserved neighborhoods. Doctors to dietitians constantly tout the benefits of a healthy diet in preventing diabetes, high cholesterol and a host of other illnesses.
Double Up Food Bucks has been around for some years. It began in Michigan in 2009 and, as reported by Janet Gramza, has since been adopted as a model in many states, including New York, where Field & Fork Network began implementing it nine years ago. Since 2014, the program has grown to 230 sites across 30 counties in the state. Now there is more: double benefits when purchasing fresh fruits and vegetables at Tops Markets on Jefferson Avenue in Buffalo and Portage Road in Niagara Falls.
For every dollar shoppers spend using their Electronic Benefit Transfer cards to purchase produce, they will receive a dollar coupon for up to $5 per day for more produce in the future. There is no expiration date on the coupons, which can be “stacked” to increase buying power.
This new benefit is a pilot of the Double Up Food Bucks program. It represents the program’s first expansion to a grocery chain in Western New York and the largest supermarket chain in the state, up to this point. We hope others, including Wegmans, will soon join in. The advantages of the program are obvious, and the funding is there.
The Field & Fork Network hopes to bring the program to Tops in a “streamlined” manner that requires shoppers only to swipe their EBT cards at checkout.
Implementing the program at Tops Markets on Jefferson Avenue has significant meaning. It circles back to the May 14, 2022, racist shooting at that store, and the years-long struggle to bring a supermarket to that neighborhood.
This is about equity – food equity – and the ability to reap the health benefits of regularly eating fresh produce. Access to healthy foods should not just be enjoyed solely by the economically well-off, but everyone.
What’s your opinion? Send it to us at lettertoeditor@buffnews.com. Letters should be a maximum of 300 words and must convey an opinion. The column does not print poetry, announcements of community events or thank you letters. A writer or household may appear only once every 30 days. All letters are subject to fact-checking and editing.
Summer entertainment on the Seacoast is still in full swing. Head over to Prescott Park in Portsmouth for a country fest with 49 Winchester, deliver your best "hiya Ken" at the the Gas Light's Barbie Party, hit the Revel in the Meadow Summer Jam festival in Dover, or make your way through 20-plus food trucks at the Portsmouth Food Truck and Craft Beer Festival.
Read on for a look at 11 things to do this weekend. Plus, looking ahead, there will be a Portsmouth 400th anniversary celebration to honor the legendary Theatre By The Sea next week.
What: With its latest album, “Fortune Favors The Bold,” the Russell County, Virginia-based 49 Winchester is ready and roaring to break onto the national scene with its "tear-in-your-beer alt-country, sticky barroom floor rock-n-roll, and high-octane Appalachian folk."
When: Friday, Aug. 18 at 7 p.m.
Where: Prescott Park, Portsmouth
Cost: Free, donations accepted
More info: prescottpark.org
What: Who is in full Barbie mode right now? If you love Barbie’s style and you love to party, don’t miss this special and exclusive Barbie party. There will be loads of fun giveaways and prizes for the best Barbie and friends costumes. The night will be filled with themed cocktails, cash and prize costume contest, swag giveaways, promo team and DJ Koko P spinning music.
When: Friday, Aug. 18 at 8 p.m.
Where: Portsmouth Gas Light Co., 64 Market St., Portsmouth
Cost: $25 to $45
More info: portsmouthgaslight.com
What: Monsterwatch has been grabbing the attention of the punk scene since 2018. The up and coming Portland-based garage-psych punk band, Spoon Benders, recently released their debut album “Dura Mater” in May 2020. Loud, in your face, and artery clogging, Greaseface embodies the characteristics of DIY. Portsmouth, New Hampshire’s very own rock n roll punks, Dog Lips, have lit a fire to the local DIY scene.
When: Friday, Aug. 18 from 8 to 11 p.m.
Where: The Dance Hall, 7 Walker St., Kittery, Maine
Cost: $17 to $22
More info: thedancehallkittery.org
What: The Continuum Arts Collective will revive its Revel in the Meadow Summer Jam — a one-day festival with tribute bands representing each of the original Watkins Glen bands, a community art bus and food.
When: Saturday, Aug. 19 from 12 to 10 p.m.
Where: Dover Elks, 282 Durham Road, Dover
Cost: $35 to $85; kids under 12 are free
More info: eventcreate.com/e/revel-in-the-meadow
What: Ever wanted to know how an oyster grows? Or how an oyster farm is run? Or why this keystone species is important to the ecosystem of the bay? Join Laura Brown, owner of Fox Point Oysters, for a guided, interactive discussion about oysters and oyster farming.
When: Saturday, Aug. 19 at 9 a.m.
Where: Little Bay. Parking at Scammell Bridge eastbound parking lot
Cost: $20 to $40
More info: foxpointoysters.com
What: Bring Your Lawn Chairs to Sullivan Square is a summer festival of community-centric concert events uniting our local Seacoast towns of the Maine Berwicks with both Somersworth and Rollinsford, New Hampshire.
When: Saturday, Aug. 19 from 4 to 8 p.m.
Where: Sullivan Square, Berwick, Maine
Cost: Free
More info: berwickmaine.org
What: Roots-based, raise-the-rafters Rock My Soul performs a rare and special concert with acclaimed pianist Mike Effenberger.
When: Saturday, Aug. 19 from 7:30 to 9 p.m.
Where: Second Christian Congregational Church, 33 Government St., Kittery, Maine
Cost: $5 to $22
More info: facebook.com/RockMySoulChoir
What: An evening of comedy and laughter with Jim Colliton, who has been featured on Comedy Central, NBC and Fox, and has his own podcast, "Lawn & Disorder." He'll be joined by comedians Greg Boggis and Jessie Baade.
When: Saturday, Aug. 19 from 8 to 9:30 p.m.
Where: McCue’s Comedy Club, 580 Portsmouth Traffic Circle, Portsmouth
Cost: $20
More info: mccuescomedyclub.com
What: Twenty-plus of New England’s most popular food trucks will dish out fan favorites while Cisco Brewers serves their local craft beers and cocktails from Triple Eight Distillery. This 2023 festival will be a day of craft beer, great food, lawn games, music, and fun for the whole family.
When: Sunday, Aug. 20 from 12 to 5 p.m.
Where: Cisco Brewers Portsmouth, 35 Corporate Drive, Portsmouth
Cost: $5 to $20
More info: ciscobrewersportsmouth.com
What: A fundraising event for the Millspace’s first play in the “Millspace Mainstage” series – You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.
When: Sunday, Aug. 20 from 3 to 5 p.m.
Where: Newmarket Millspace, 55 Main St., Newmarket
Cost: $10 to $25
More info: millspace.org
What: The music of Rockspring is high-octane folk/rock/grass. All strings playing great stuff from classic rock and folk and bluegrass standards, to rock and folk originals.
When: Sunday, Aug. 20 from 3 to 5 p.m.
Where: Crows’ Feat Farm, 178 Drinkwater Road, Kensington
Cost: $10 to $20
More info: crowsfeatfarm.org
What: Guests will journey through the timeline of this iconic theater's history. Featuring multi-media and live performances, as well as special guest speakers who created and worked at Theatre by the Sea, the event will bring back memories of what was once the oldest year-round non-profit professional theater company in New England – a place nationally recognized as an arts destination.
When: Thursday, Aug. 24 at 6 p.m.
Where: St. John’s Lodge, 351 Middle St., Portsmouth
Cost: $20
More info: portsmouthnh400.org
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Country music, Barbie Party, food trucks and craft beer: Things to do
